News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Students and staff at Jefferson-Craig Elementary School participated in a special flag raising ceremony on Wednesday morning as part of the observance of the first anniversary of the attacks on September 11th on Wednesday morning as part of the observance of the first anniversary of the attacks on September 11th of last year. Flags around the country flew at half mast throughout the day; and special observances were held around the country.
Officials with the Indiana State Department of Health have confirmed that a blue jay found dead near East Enterprise was positive for the West Nile Virus. Switzerland County’s Health Officer, Dr. Scott Frede, wants all residents of Switzerland County to know that just because a bird has been found in the county that tested positive for the virus there is no need for anyone to panic. Officials have been expecting the virus to show up either this summer or next summer and are taking appropriate actions to contain it.
Switzerland County’s James Larry Miller on the surface appears to be a very mild mannered member of the U.S. Navy, but very often looks can be very deceiving. Now a captain in the Navy, Jim Miller is the Navy’s “go to” man for placement in dental clinics on short notice around the world. The dentist travels the world to provide dental care for members of the Navy; which allows the Navy to keep from calling up reserves and taking them away from their private practices.
20 YEARS AGO
Vincent Valenzuela, a senior at Switzerland County High School, has been selected a semi-finalist in the 1993 National Merit Scholarship Program, the premier academic competition in the United States. He is the first National Merit scholar at Switzerland County High School since Kenny Roberts in 1984. He is the son of Doctors Diego and Fidelia Valenzuela of Vevay.
Ralph and Pauline Peebles of Patriot will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, September 26th. They are the parents of seven children, 17 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Employees at the Randall/Textron plant in Vevay have achieved a rarity. They’ve had over 1,000 work days without lost-time accidents, something that had never happened in the history of the Randall division at any of its plants. The Randall division became a part of Textron in 1959. Textron has existed since 1858.
30 YEARS AGO
A large group of relatives, friends and well-wishers gathered at the Rising Sun Church of the Nazarene last Sunday to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of the Reverend Raymond Peters and his wife Lena Mae. The Reverend and Mrs. Peters are now retired and currently live in East Enterprise.
The 1981 grand prize winner of the “Salute to Pets” went to a former Vevay resident, Judy McKee, and her child Kwan who was pictured with his dog Missy. Judy, the photographer, took the picture of her son and his dog in a field of bluebonnets down in Texas. The contest was sponsored by the Carnation Company through a magazine entitled “LadyCom” – a publication distributed on United States military bases throughout the world. The picture was first published in March, 1982, and again in September. It was also used in the poster ads for the 1982 contest. The photo was also chosen as “Photo of the Week” in the publication paper on the Ft. Sam military base.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Minks of Patriot celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this past Wednesday. They were married in Rising Sun.
40 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Peters of Chrisman, Illinois, and formerly of Switzerland County, observed their 50th wedding anniversary September 10th with an open house at Chrisman’s Nazarene Fellowship Hall. Mrs. Peters is the former Lena Mae Calvert and was ordained to the ministry in 1938. She has completed 37 years as a pastor and is presently pastor of Metcalf Church of the Nazarene. She served 14 years at Chrisman Church of the Nazarene. Mr. Peters is presently employed at Chrisman Community Unit No. 6 High School.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wiley of route 1, Florence, will celebrate their 50th anniversary September 24th with open house at the Florence Christian Church.
50 YEARS AGO
The congregation of the East Enterprise Methodist Church will observe the church’s centennial Sunday with a special program and basket dinner.
Larry Kinman of Posey Township became the new treasurer of Switzerland County 4-H Club Committee. K. L. Hastings of Vevay has relinquished his position as treasurer after 14 years of service. He became a member of the committee in 1946 and was named treasurer two years later. The committee determines and approves county 4-H Club programs and policies.
Judy Dickerson of Patriot was awarded a 4-H Club scholarship to Purdue University while attending Indiana State Fair School for Girls at the same fair August 24th to September 2nd. Judy was also one of five Switzerland County girls receiving Purdue’s 4-H Club Key awards for outstanding achievements in club work. Others receiving key awards were Annabelle Slack. Patsy Hand, Marilyn Kinman, and Priscilla Dickerson.
Mrs. Betty Jean Adams, 43, of near Braytown, wife of Harrison Adams, manager of the ASC office in Vevay, died Monday morning in the Dearborn County Hospital. Mrs. Adams had been ill for more than a year, during which she was hospitalized several times.
60 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Nona Walton of Vevay passed away Sunday morning in King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison. For a number of years she was employed as a teacher in the Vevay grade schools.
Cadet Albert Ellerbrook, son of Dr. and Mrs. George E. Ellerbrook, has been promoted to the rank of Cadet Sergeant, 1st Class, Lieutenant Colonel Fred T. Kent, Professor ofMilitary Science and Tactics at the Kentucky Military Institute, Lyndon, Kentucky, announced this week.
Miss Eva Graham has brought to this office three beautiful specimens of a Japanese sun flower. The small double flowers have little resemblance to our own huge plants except for their deep yellow color.
70 YEARS AGO
Dickie Henry was crowned king of the Labor Day Soap Box Derby staged on the Vevay Hill Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Vauter quietly celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at the home of their only grandson, Earl Ascherman, and family of Posey Township.
Mrs. Mattie Beagle, one of the county’s oldest residents, passed away at the County Infirmary Wednesday at the age of 92.
Miss Norma Jean Bosaw, 16, died in King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison Wednesday following an appendectomy performed about a week ago.
Mrs. Harriet R. Shadday, widow of Martin Shadday, died at her home in Mount Sterling Sunday morning, having been in ill health for several years.
80 YEARS AGO
Mr. Garrett Furnish, G.A.R. veteran and a former resident of Vevay, passed away at his home in Madison on September 7th after a several weeks illness of heart trouble.
Mr. and Mrs. Millard Turner celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their home near Florence on Saturday, September 10th.
Frederick Thiebaud, student pianist, has again been awarded a scholarship at the Cincinnati College of Music.
Harold, nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bennett, was drowned in the Ohio River at Dam 39 Saturday morning. The lad, whose father is lock tender at the dam, is thought to have fallen into the river while getting minnows to sell to local fishermen for bait.
90 YEARS AGO
Edgar A. Detraz has purchased Mr. Hollingsworth’s interest in the firm of Detraz and Hollingsworth located at Braytown and took possession last week.
The towboat “Julius Fleischmann” en route to Louisville with a tow of coal grounded one of her barges while passing through the narrow channel below the Vevay wharf early Sunday morning.
L. B. Stow, the present owner of the old East Enterprise fair grounds, has set aside the east part of it for a public park and picnic grounds.
Roxie Lewis, 17-year-old daughter of Robert Lewis and wife of Bennington, died Thursday after a year’s illness of tuberculosis.
Mrs. Samuel Leep died at her home on Park’s Ridge early Tuesday morning after a long illness.
120 YEARS AGO
Last Tuesday little Albert, son of Millard F. Wainscott of Bennington, was kicked on the head by a horse and severely injured. The doctors give little hope for his recovery.
Married at the residence of father Chandler, September 11th, by Reverend W. B. Seymour, Alvin T. Porter and Lida O. Martin.
Born September 9th, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Will Ward of Sugar Branch.
Licensed to marry: William Graves and Sneda Roberts; Daniel W. Neal and Martha J. Joyce; B. H. Mix and Nalie M. Howel; Alexander Prence and Mollie Coolis; John B. March and Emma Walcott; George W. McSwain and Susan V. Webber.
140 YEARS AGO
The 21st annual fair of the Switzerland and Ohio County Agricultural Society is now going on.
Mrs. Eliza A. Porter, aged 48 years, wife of Robert Porter, died on Tuesday, September 10th.
Alton R. Clark and Miss Addie Whippo were married September 12th, Reverend Thomas Whallon, officiating.
Jesse Bowright and Miss Rebecca Walden were married September 11th at the residence of the bride’s parents.
Enos Littlefield and Miss Mary A. Welch were married in Vevay September 9th.
150 YEARS AGO
Civil War news:
Martial law in a mild form exists in all the border counties in Indiana. Colonel Oliver Ormsby has issued an order from headquarters of the 10th regiment of the home guards at Vevay an order stating that all persons desiring to cross the river or leave the county must have a pass from one of the following persons: Vevay, Colonel Ormsby, William Mead, C. C. Doan, F. J. Waldo, R. F. Grisard; Patriot, R. R. Ruter; Florence, Lemual Bledsoe; Log Lick, Hugh Adkinson; Craig Township, Captain S. H. Pavy, John Lancaster.
All persons coming from Kentucky without a pass will be taken by a guard to one of the above officers for examination and upon proof of loyalty given passes. All ferrymen and citizens are ordered to convey no persons without a pass or to allow their skiffs or boats to be used in violation of this order. Skiffs and boats are placed under military authority by order of Major General Love.
Captain Duble has a fleet of gunboats now ready for service at Cincinnati. Two gunboats now ply between Rising Sun and Carrollton, watching closely the movements of rebels in Kentucky.
The following statistics show the military situation in Switzerland Clounty: militia, 1,430; exempted, 312; in military service, 999; discharged, 57.
In Ohio County over one-third of the enrolled militia applied for exemption; 344 applied but only 116 were exempted.
Sergeant David A. Fallis of Company A 3rd Indiana Cavalry, was killed in action a few days ago.
Governor Morton had dispatched two physicians to Richmond, Kentucky, to attend to Indiana’s sick and wounded at that place.
A War Department dispatch announces that the quota of volunteers and the enrollment of militia have been completed in several states the necessity for the stringent enforcement of volunteering and drafting no longer exists.